Computer systems typically store large collections of data in databases in nonvolatile computer memory. Data stored in databases commonly is organized into individual records which themselves are organized in a logical hierarchical manner that simplifies use of that database. Depending upon the database access policy, each record of the database may be accessed, reviewed, modified, or deleted by an authorized database user. When used in a business context for storing information relating to software development by a software development company, for example, data stored in the database may include data relating to projects being developed by the company, comments by employees relating to current technology of the company, and technical data related to ongoing company projects.
Most records in a database are accessible to a user through a "graphical user interface" (GUI). GUIs provide a visual metaphor of a real-world scene, such as a desktop, featuring icons that the user can manipulate with a pointing device, such as a mouse. The database user therefore may access a selected database by clicking on a GUI button representing the database, responsively causing the computer to display the contents of the selected database in an easy to understand format. This format itself is a GUI that enables the user to further access and manipulate the database.
One type of database application program product in widespread use is Lotus Notes.TM. (Notes), available from Lotus Development Corporation of Cambridge, Mass. Notes enables a user to construct a database that may be accessed by multiple users through a Notes-based GUI. FIGS. 1 and 2 show exemplary Notes GUIs used with a multi-user database that stores topics, responses replying to the topics (topic responses), and responses replying to the responses (reply responses). Notes organizes the data in the exemplary database by grouping the topics, and their corresponding responses, into folders.
The user may access the exemplary Notes database by clicking on a database access button (FIG. 1), which responsively displays the GUI shown in FIG. 2. The GUI in FIG. 2 includes a navigation pane for displaying the folders in the database, a view pane for viewing the topics and titles of the responses stored in the folders listed in the navigation pane, and a preview pane for displaying the content of a response selected in the view pane.
Although the Notes GUI displays some information about the topics and responses, such as the title of a response, date of the response, and the author of the response, it does not tabulate a summary of this information and other related data. For example, summaries with indicia relating to the number of replies per user per topic are not displayed. Similarly, the Notes GUI does not display indicia or information relating to the number of replies to any one topic on each of several days, weeks, months, or years. Absent a GUI displaying such summaries, a user requiring this information necessarily would be required to manually tabulate these summaries while scrolling through the Notes GUI. Such a process is time consuming and inefficient.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a GUI that summarizes database information in a simple, easy to understand, user-friendly format. It also would be desirable for this GUI to facilitate user access to the database records directly from the GUI. It is among the general objects of the invention to provide such a device and method.